11-26-2007, 01:00 AM
[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>India eyes key missile defence test</span></b>[/center]
NEW DELHI : Very soon, India will take a crucial step towards proving its fledgling ballistic missile defence (BMD) system. In the first week of December, the country plans to unleash a new "interceptor" missile to "kill" an incoming "hostile" missile over the Bay of Bengal.
This new interceptor missile, an "endo-atmospheric" one, will take on the "enemy" missile at an altitude of 15-20 km above the earth, on the lines of the American Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system.
A year ago, on November 27, India had tested an "exo-atmospheric" hypersonic interceptor missile to successfully destroy an incoming Prithvi missile at an altitude of around 50 km, demonstrating a capability akin to the Israeli Arrow-2 BMD system.
In effect, the two tests taken together will constitute the first phase in Indiaâs quest to develop a "unique" two-tier BMD system, capable of tracking and destroying hostile missiles both inside (endo) and outside (exo) the earthâs atmosphere.
"With a two-layered system, analogous to both PAC-3 and Arrow-2, the aim is to first engage in exo and then intercept the leakers in endo to ensure a kill probability of 99.8%," DRDOâs chief controller for missiles, V K Saraswat, told TOI.
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